6PR Nightline host Graham Mabury to retire

Graham Mabury, host of Radio 6PR's Nightline program for 33 years, is to retire.

Mabury told listeners to his program on Monday night that he wants to spend more time with his wife and family.

6PR Nightline host Graham Mabury

He will continue in his role as a pastor with the Mt Pleasant Baptist Church and will maintain links with 6PR, filling in on-air from time to time and working on other community projects.

General Manager for 6PR, Martin Boylen, said Mabury had started discussions around a year ago about his retirement.

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Boylen says a search is under way for a replacement, but no decision has yet been made and Mabury will continue on air until a replacement is found.

"It's time for me to start thinking about life on the other side of the radio," Mabury says.

"I wanted to leave while the program is in good shape.

"This is a good time to pass the baton to somebody new."

Mabury says the decision to leave after such a long time is a difficult one.

"There is a feeling that you don't want to let people down, which is why I am so grateful to the station that they have said I can stay on until they are confident they have found the right person to do my job.

"I always hoped I'd have the nouse to know when it was time and not have somebody tap me on the shoulder."

Mabury says he has invested 33 years of his life into the program which makes it very tough to leave behind.

He says it will also be tough on his listeners, some of whom have been there for the whole 33-year journey.

He has got to know many of listeners over the years and he says Nightline has become very much like a family.

Mabury hopes whoever takes the role on after him will continue to nurture the Nightline family.

"Listeners want intelligent and informed conversation, they want somebody who is not necessarily a radio person, somebody like Peter Bell in the afternoons, who is just who he is, a what you see is what you get kind of person.

"I think probably the essential element is they genuinely care about the listener."

Mabury says his original reason for taking on the program arose out of his Christian faith, but it hasn't been something he's tried to push down listener's throats.

"That's what motivates me, to want to be there for them."

While Mabury says from his perspective it will be great if his successor is like-minded, the decision about what kind of person will take up the role will be up to Fairfax Radio.

Mabury hopes he has been able to set a good Christian example at a time when there is so much bad news about the church coming out in the media.

Over the years Mabury has received many honours.

Among them are an Order of Australia Medal, Citizen of the Year for Community Service, Fellow of Edith Cowan University, Volunteer of the Year, the Rona Oakley Award for Individual Achievement (WA Consumer Protection Awards) and the Advance Australia Award.

There are also many Nightline initiatives he is proud of.

The Living Stone Foundation was formed to oversee the Off Air Counselling Service, the Nightline Christmas Appeal and the Nightline Blanket Appeal and other off air response to Nightline calls out of which Lifeline WA and the Charity Link Appeal evolved.

"The fact you can now pick up the phone and dial 13 11 14 is huge and every person who is brought back from the brink, thank God I was able to be a part of that."

As he leaves radio Mabury says his immediate goal is to spend more time with his wife, his children and grandchildren.

"My wife has given me incredible support over the years and I'd like to thank her for that."

With two sons living in the United States Mabury said he wants to spend longer periods of time out of Australia.

"I haven't been able to spend more than two or three weeks with my sons for years now because they both live in the States."

Mabury has five grandchildren aged from just over two years to seven years old.

"They are still at the age where it's a big deal when Poppy comes," he says.

Boylen said Mabury would be greatly missed.

"Graham is an honourable man and has been a pleasure to deal with."

"He has been a rock over the past 30 years while everything has changed around him."

Boylen said Mabury's replacement need to be somebody respected by the audience.

"Hopefully it will be somebody well known to our audience, but we'll be casting the net as wide as possible and we'll be advertising nationally for a replacement," Boylen said.